Much has been made of the hours we expect these elected officials to work every day. Several of the candidates that are running are pledging to work 8:00 until 4:30 every day, Monday through Friday. A few of these candidates are either retired or run businesses that are one person operations that do so little business that if they get elected it would be a significant pay raise. Not only that, but they'd get to finally close their all but non-existent businesses which would save them all the costs associated with keeping them open. We know who these people are and the only reason they are making such a pledge is they think it's a hot button with the voters.
If we look at it rationally, does having the office hours they propose to work make sense? I firmly believe the answer is no. For one thing, people like myself that go to work every day during those hours cannot go to the courthouse to conduct business without burning a day off. Unlike certain candidates that routinely call radio shows and brag about how much time they've spent at the courthouse being a "taxpayer advocate" in one sentence and bragging about how successfully they've run their business in the next. A question pops into my mind; If you are a one man operation, how much business are you actually doing? More importantly, how well have you done it? The answer isn't a good one.
One of these candidates that has made this point his main contention is actually running for 4 offices. I ask you, Walter Griffith, how you will be a full time controller, if elected, as well as all those other offices, do you intend to work all those jobs? The answer is about the same as you've apparently run your current business. Before you get all huffy and pissy, consider this; You haven't run it well enough to even grow to need more than just yourself and I've heard you contract out work to another local repair shop. Taking that a step further if true; How much extra are your clients paying for that work when not only are they paying you a profit but they in effect are also paying the other shop a profit as well? With advocates like that who needs a Jill Moran or Ross Scarantino? By the way Wally, calling Corbett and intentionally misquoting a candidate makes you a flat out untrustworthy liar.
Do you know what hours I want my controller to work? Forty hours per week for sure but I want some of those hours to be evening and weekend hours so that those of us that actually work every day can conduct our business with the county in our free time. The only candidates that have offered this are Alice Coffman and Nanda Palissery. Makes sense to me, how about to all of you????
11 comments:
thank you zen!!! why can't people understand the difference between professional positions and hourly labor? elected officials get their jobs done when they have to. there is no requirement that they be there from 8 to 5. walter has no idea... but what do ou expect from a mechanic who works hourly. a total zero.
Zen,
I would like to correct the record on your post if I can be so bold. I am a "one man operation" and do it very well and have done this for 20 years and am very successful to the tune of $200,000.00 gross annual income and 8 vehicles a day and attend County Meetings and also run a full schedule of a Mid Atlantic District Barbershop Singing Society on the entire Mid Atlantic States.
I also am running for two offices that require my "Full Time" attention. the position of Judge of Election is a twice a year position and the position of PA State Constable is a job that I hold only as a position to keep involved in Law enforcement, of which I am not active with the courts, so I don’t do anything there.
I suggest that you come to my business and see how well it is operated "Full Time" or better yet, speak to any of my customers and ask if I ever have there vehicles longer than 24 hours and if they are happy with the service, before you make accusations about the quality of my work or ability to perform the functions of the business. I am running for County Controller because I feel I can and will be the best County Controller for the taxpayers of Luzerne County and I also feel that I will give the taxpayers what they have been missing for years, and that is "Honesty and Integrity" and Full Time service without cheating the taxpayers by not being there the same hours that we expect the staff to work without supervision.
I have taken time from my business to go to County Meetings because I genuinely care about the taxpayers of the County and have done this at my own expense. I would like to know why Nanda Palissery has not done the same for the taxpayers as an attorney for the people, if he cares so much about the contracts and legal aspects. I did this for the taxpayers and lost two days worth the income and did so successfully for the benefit of the taxpayers.
Where was Nanda Palissery when the County was going to take the voters rights away with regard to the redistricting of Wilkes Barre City Council? I was there and won the lawsuit to protect the voter’s rights at my own cost as well.
My business is very successful and I will have someone run my business for me, I will not sell it as you stated, so I can be a “Full Time” Controller for the people of Luzerne County and that is more than I can say for Nanda Palissery.
My business is always open for you to come and ask questions and also feel free to try to do what I do in one day and you will see it takes a very “Well organized” and dedicated person to get all the things done that I do in one day and still find time to represent the taxpayers of Luzerne County, but I do it because of my concern for the taxpayers.
Walter Griffith Jr
President and CEO
Rutter Auto Service Inc.
570-735-5577
Whoever is paying you to be a cheerleader for part-time attorney, part-time wanna-be controller Palissery, Mr. Zen, I won't bite. Walter Griffith still gets the nod. The guy is capable and genuinely cares about our area. And please, Mr. Anonymous Blog-writer Zen, please tell me when, where, and how Mr. Griffith lied. Thanks. And you know what, I am pretty sure that Mr. Griffith might even consider manning the office from 10 am to 7 pm if that is what it would take. Mr. Palissery and Ms. Coffman, NEITHER OF WHOM, BY THE WAY, HAVE PROMISED TO GIVE 40 HOURS A WEEK, can or will promise that. NEITHER HAS PROMISED TO GIVE 40 HOURS.
Ok, where to start? I'll address Walter first.
Wally, I never said you didn't do quality work. I said you contract work out to other shops. Am I lying? I double dog dare you to tell me I am.
$200,000 per year income ehh? At $50 per hour, you would have to have billed 77 hours per week. hard to believe you did all that work and played white knight full time at the same time and ever slept.
Sounds like you meant Gross Revenue. Big difference Mr. Sucessful Businessman. Simple accounting knowledge and you would've known that. You sure you want to be talking about your accounting abilities that qualify you to be controller?
You say you are running for two full time positions, again, I ask how you will be able to do either if you win? What are you going to do, work 8 til 4:30 at one and 5 til 1:130 at the other? By the way I love that you stated you are running for constable but don't do a damned thing at that job. WTF?
Playing the white knight is fine but it does not make you qualified to be controller. As I just wrote, you don't even know the difference between gross Revenue and gross income. For the record, I admire the time and effort you've put into being that squeaky wheel and wouldn't have written this piece that has you riled had you not gone the Sypniewski route with the dirty politics. Which I will address in my respone to anon 12:09am.
Anon 12:09AM,
Nobody pays me to write this, nobody but me has any say in what I write. I don't even allow ads on this even though I get offers every week.
A cheer leader for Palissery? I think I have clearly written Alice Coffman's name many times as one of only two candidates that are actually qualified to be controller.
Walter flat out lied when he diliberately misquoted Palissery on the Corbett show. Walter stated that Nanda's exact words when asked if he would work full time as controller "I am offended that anybody would ask me that, it's not a full time job".
Nanda's actual response was "I'm offended at that question. I will work however many hours it takes". There is a monumental difference there and if you can't see that you are one dumb douchebag. If Walter wants to show he is really an honorable guy he should call Corbett and straighten out his lie and offer an apology. You know the funny thing? Walter is an honorable man but politics makes people do strange things to win and I truly doubt he will make that call. I hope he makes a liar out of me in that regard.
Alice and Nanda have both pledged at many public events to work as many hours as it takes, whether it is only 40 or if it takes 60-70.
As for your Walter may even change the hours he has pledged to work on every single local talk radio show to 10 until 7 is just fooking laughable. Walter has made that 8:00 until 4:30 statement on all those shows and is now trapped by it. You see Walter is a pretty smart man and he knew the talking heads were really hot on that hours at the courthouse thing so he jumped on it. It was a great political move to be sure. It also means that working people will not have access to his office without taking time off from work. That was my point or did you miss that while trying to be so witty?
Pete from Pittston,
You're welcome. The real point that not a single candidate has addressed is that a good manager hires and builds a team to run the business. The manager (controller in this instance) is the decision and policy maker. The team members (employees) carry out those policies. This concept is hard for some people to grasp. I welcome any candidate for any office to tell us their strategy, if elected, at doing this.
Wouldn't we be better off with that answer rather than a steady stream of "I'll be there from 8 until 4:30 Monday through Friday". Walter is not the only candidate that has made that his most important campaign statement. Frankly, taking cues from morons like Kevin Lynn and Steve Corbett is goofy. Don't these candidates know that they are being used to increase an entertainment shows ratings?
Didn't one of the wilk radio hosts say that county row offices were never meant to be full time positions? That they were set up so that a citizen could do a civic study and still work?
I know I heard it yesterday but cant remember which one said it.
I think that was Kevin "Pinko" Lynn. I disagree with him as usual.
You are the douchebag zen! You hurl mud but harbor a hidden agenda. Did you have a tape recorder at the time Nanda spoke?? I was there and noted the OFFENDED COMMENT! Seemed a detraction from an otherwise good candidates oration! Being full time is a commendable position and sure evenings and weekends are great. If you work part time as Alice and Nanda will it will be an easy task to perform. Wal;ters a true blue collar worker that has shown his dedication and committment to the taxpayers of Luzerne County! Never heard from the other candidates. I do not want another attorney in the row offices! Judge and DA fine. Otherwise a citizen advocate is my choice! Alice seems well qualified but we deserve more committment from the row officeholders than the "as needed" basis!!!!
If the job doesn't require the row officer to be there full time, then why have one at all? Seems like a waste of tax payer money, as usual. But thats what Luzerne County is good at and is always consistant. The simple and most COST EFFECTIVE way, is where we need to be, more so now than ever. Why not have one person oversee all row offices and make it FULL TIME.
anon 3:18,
I believe if we get a good home rule study commission, that is exactly what they should shoot for.
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